Roads and the environment: A handbook

Abstract

The objective of this handbook is to provide a description of practical methods which are useful in designing and executing effective environmental assessments (EAs) to those who are involved in various aspects of road projects, from planning to construction to maintenance. This handbook is primarily concerned with specific road projects, ranging from major works on new alignments to minor rehabilitation and maintenance activities on existing roads. The techniques discussed can be applied to in-depth environmental assessment studies, or to modest action plans for dealing with environmental aspects of small projects. As EA practitioners are by no means the only set of participants in the EA process, this handbook is not limited to their exclusive use. People representing the project proponents, government agencies, NGOs, research groups, and community organizations, as well as any others whose input is desired in both the project development and EA processes, are all intended handbook users.